Gas-producer.



M. E. GROWELL.-

GAS PRODUCER. APPLIOATION FILED JAN. 2. 1909.

Patented Mar.'15,1910.

2 SHEETS-SHEET l.

LVVENTOR.

igm 2.

I ATOR M. E. OROWELL. GAS PRODUCER. I APPLICATION FILED JAN. 2. 1909. I

Patented Mar.15,1910.

' 2 sums-8mm z. 1. m; Y Y

11v VENTOR.

UNITED STATES GFFICE.

MELVIN E. criowELL, or FRANKLIN, INDIANA, ASSIGNOR or ONE-HALF T0 FRANKLIN F. CHANDLER, or INDIANAPOLIS, INDIANA.

GAS-PRODUCER.

Specification of Letters latent. P t t d M r. 15, 1910.

Application filed January 2, 1909. Serial No. 470,351.

To all whom it may concern:

Be 1t known that I, MELV N E. CRoWELL, of Frankhn, county of Johnson, and State .of Indiana, have invented a certain new and useful Gas-Producer; and I do hereby de-' clare that the following is a full, clear, and

exact description thereof, reference being .ent No; 894,87 7 granted to me on August 4,

One feature of this invention consists in so constructing the lower portion of the device as torender the separation and collection of the ash satisfactory. To that end the lower'portion of thefuel chamber is tapering and below it a vertically adjustable ash pan is mounted for supporting the fuel and permitting the ash to drop over the edge thereof during the revolution of the device and accumulate in the lower corner of the casing, which is provided with a double ,valve closed outlet for the removal of the ash. Y

Another feature of the invention consistsin combining with a tubular stationary stirrer, through which water is introduced, pipes leading from the upper end of said stirrer to the lower end of the water jacket,

so that the water jacket will he charged with water at the lower endthereof.

Another feature of the invention consists in providing an outlet at the upper end of the water-jack t for carryingoff steam.

Another feafiire ofthe invention -consists in providing eans for removing the gas, which means extends through-the waterj acket so that the gas will be thereby cooled and to,some extent the device will have a' self contained economizer.

Another feature of the invention consists,

in providing a-conduit from the upper end of the producer-shell provided with a suitable valve whereby the gas may be conveyed from said conduit while the valves are In 1 The full nature of the improvements will. be understood from the accompanying drawlngs and the following description and claims.

In the drawings Figure 1 is a central vertical section through the device, showing it charged. with coal and: in operation. Fig. 2 is a section on the line 22 of Fig. 1, showing a portion of the upper part of the device in section. Fig. 3 is an enlarged view of a portion of the upper part'of whatappears in Fig. 1. Fig. 4: is a side elevation of a 'portion of the lower part of the shell. Fig. 5 is a section on the line 55 of Fig. 1. Fig. 6 is the same as a part of the lower portion of Fig. l with the fuel removed and appearing on a larger scale.

In detail there is in the drawings forming a part of this device a gas producer shell 10 in an inclined position at an angle of less than degrees from a vertical line. It is revolublymounted, the means therefor not being herein fully shown. There however appears an annular flange or track 11 on the shell which is supported on vertically disposed wheels 12 only one of which is shown. There'is also an annular rack 13 on the shell'which is revolved by gear 14-. 'But I do not want to be limited to any particular means for revolving the shell, as that .is'not material to the present invention herein shown. The producer shell revolves about a stirrer 16 that extends centrally therethrough and is stationary or anchored at its lower end by means not herein shown. It has an angular portion 17 that stirs the fuel 18 as the fuel and producer shell revolve. A water jacket 20 lines the upper two-thirds -of the shell and-is contracted at its lower end, so as to be partially conical and terminates in an annular ring 22 at the lower end of the fuel chamber. Said-fuel chamber is also lined with fire-brick 23, or the like.

A conical ash pan 25 is mounted below the outlet opening from the fuel chamber through the mug 22 so as to be vertically. adjustable toward and away from said outlet and ring.- The ash pan is supported by arms 26 extendin out radially to the shell and being vertically slidable along the guide bars 27, which are secured vertically to the shell. A rack bar 126 extends down from the outer end'of each arm 26 and adjacent said guide 27 and is vertically adjusted by a pinion 127 secured on the inner end of a shaft 128 which extends throu h the shell and a reinforcing plate 129. T e outer end vof the shaft 128 is squared to receive a :wrench or handle 28, whereby the shaft is brick material is secured with sufficient thick- -v the shell.

stationary,

stirrer 16 and passes through ness to keep the metal plate from being burned out. As the shell revolves, the ash accumulates in said pan and further protects it from the heat and then the ash falls over the lower edge of the pan into the ashaccumulating chamber in the lower end of The ash is removed from the shell through the pipe 130, which is closed by two gates 31 and 32. Assuming both gates closed, which is the normal condition, the ash is removed by first opening the upper gate 31 and permitting the ash to drop down upon gate 32. Then gate 31 is closed and gate 32 opened, whereupon the ash falls out of tube 130. The gate 32 is then closed.

Thus the ash is removed while the producer shell is revolving and by. means that prevents air entering the producer shell and commingling with the gas.

Water enters at the lower end of the the same upwardly into branching pipes 30 leading therefrom and extending downwardly into the Water jacket almost to the end thereof. For this purpose the pipe 30 is connected with the stirrer 16 by a stutfing box ,31. Th1s arrangement causes the discharge of the water initially at the hottest part of the water jacket, and utilizes the water that keeps the stirrer cool and from burning out. There may be any desired number of pipes 30.

A conduit 40 extends from the upper end of the gas producer shell, the portion thereof adjacent to the shell being out of aline ment with the axis of the shell and a remoter portion of the conduit being in alinement with said axis, and a still further por-v tion leading off from said coaxial portion to a gas pipe 41. From said last portion of the conduit 40, a flue 42 extends for use in purging the fire. The coaxial portion of the conduit40 is composed of two parts, the lower revoluble with the shell and the upper the two being joined by a studing box 43.

- A number of gas pipes 44 lead from the chamber in the shell below the water-jacket and furnace chamber, through the water jacket and communicate with the revoluble part of the coaxial portion of the conduit 40, whereby the gas formed by the down draft producer is conveyed to the gas outlet pipe tion of the tubes 44 has a gate 51. A gate 52 controls the entrance to the gas outlet pipe 41 to the engine and a gate 53 controls the flue 42. Likewise there are dam ers 54 for closing the gas tubes 44, said al'nper being mounted on arms from the upper end of sleeve 56 surrounding the steam tube 60 and having a handle 57, whereby said sleeve and dampers maybe turned so as to close or open the gas pipes.

A steam tube 6 0 extends centrally through the coaxial, portion of the conduit 40 and has branch tubes 61 from its lower end that communicate with the water jacket, whereby any steam formed therein may be re moved for some use. The pipe 60 turns and is therefore connected with a stationary pipe 62 by a st-ufiing box 63.

When starting the fire, the gates 31 and i 32 are open and the fire started in the lower part of the fuel chamber. The gates 51' and 53 are open while the gate 52 is closed." This will afford a draft, and after the coal has been fired sufficiently the gates 31' and 32, 51 and 53 are closed, while the gates 50 and 52 are opened, so that air enters through the fuel hopper 46, and gas is generated and flows through the down-draft into the fuel. The gas passes out through theopening in thering 22 into the cham er below the furnace chamber; thence it passes upwardly through pipes 44 and the conduit 40 and out through the gas line pipe 41. When the gas is passing out thus, dampers 51 and 53 are closed and damper 52 is open. When' it is desired to stimulate the fire, the dampers'5'0 and 52 are closed, while the dampers 51 and 53 are open, so as to make'a direct passage-Way or fine from the furnace chamber out through the pipe 40 and flue pipe 42. Thischanges the draft from a down-draft to an up-draft, and for that purpose an exhaust means, not shown, may be connected with the pipe 42. When there is an upopened.

' It is thus seen that the ash and cinders are removable as the shell revolves,'and the gas passes through the Water jacket, which thus serves as an economizer for reducing its temperature, the cooling water passing through the apparatus in such a way that by varying the rate of this flow it may pass off as hot water to be used for heating purposes, or it may be converted entirely into steam at any desired pressure. It is also seen that this apparatus will make from ordinary bituminous coal a gas of the .draft, gate 54 is closed and gates 31 and 32 cjualityjsuitable. for a gas engine in, a mod erate sized plant without the use of auxiliary apparatus, and at the same time convert the large amount of .heat, usually wasted in cooling and scrubbing, into'suitable form for heatingorpowerpurposes.

' What I claim as my invention and desire to secure by Letters Patent is:

' 1. A gas. producer including a revoluble shell, means for revolving said'shell, a fuel chamber in theupper portion thereof, a gas accumulating chamber in the lower portion thereof, a water jacket surrounding the fuel chamber,,a conduit associated and revoluble with said shell-disposed coaxially therewith, a plurality of pipes leading from the gasaccumulating chamber through the water jacket to said revoluble conduit, and a stationary conduit in co'mmun'icationwith said revoluble conduit for conveying the gas -therefrom.

2 gas producer including revoluble sheii, means for revolving said shell, a fuel chamber in the upper portion thereof, a

hollow water jacket surrounding said cham-' her, a stationary stirrer extending centrally through the shell and adapted to receive water at its lower end',-and pipes revolubly connected with the upper end of said stirrer for discharging the water therefrom at the lower portion of the water jacket.

3. A gas producer including a revoluble shell, means for revolving said shell,'a water jacket therein, a conduit connected and rev oluble with the-shell and disposed coaxially thereof, gas removing pipes leading to said conduit, a steam pipe revoluble with the shell leading from the water jacket and extending centrally through said conduit, a stationary conduit in communication with said revolubleconduit for conveying away the gas, and a stationary steam pipe in communication with saidrevoluble steam pipe.

4. A gas producer including a revoluble shell provided with a fuel chamber for forming gas, means forrevolving said shell,

a conduit leading-therefrom a portion of which is coaxial and revoluble with said shell, a stationary conduit in connection with the coaxial portion of said revoluble conduit, and a flue pipe and a (gas pipe leading from said stationary-con uit pro- .vided with gates for utilizing said revoluble and stationary portions of the conduit for an up draft flue or for the removal of the as therethrough.-

in? v v 5A gas producer including a shell provided with a fuel chamber, a conduit leadingfrom the upper end thereof, pipes for removing the 'asfrom the device that enter said conduit, ampere for closing the outlets a of said gas pipes, a gate in said conduit be low the point where said pipes enter the same, a flue. pipe leading from the upper,

portion of said conduit, agate in said flue pipe, and a gate in said conduit beyond the flue pipe, whereby said conduit may be utilized for removing the gas from the device or for an up draft flue.

6; A gas producer including a shell provided with a fuel chamber, a conduit leading from the upper end thereof, pipes for re moving the gas from the device that enter said conduit, dampers for closing the out: lets of said gas pipes, a gate in said conduit below the point where said pipes enter the same, a flue pipe leading from the up 'ei" portion of said conduit, gate in said ue pipe, a gate in said conduit beyond the flue pipe, whereby said conduit may be utilized for removing the gas from the device, a fuel tube entering said conduit near the shell,

and a gate therein whereby said conduit may be closed while charging the device with coal and said fuel tube may be closed during the operation of the device.

7. A gas .producer including a shell provided with a fuel chamber, a conduit leading'from' the upper end thereof a portion of which is coaxial with'said shell, pipes leading fromthe lower part of the shell and entering said coaxial portion of the conduit for removing the gas, a water jacket surrounding the fuel chamber, a steam r'ne leading centrally through the coaxial L rtion 'of said conduit and in communication with said water jacket, dampers oscillatinglymounted on said steam pipe 1n said conduit for closing said gas pipes, means for operat- I 

